Next To You
by walkingproof
Summary: Is getting to the point where your dreams come true worth losing yourself? TxG


Troy sat at the foot of his bed strumming a few chords on his guitar letting his fingers glide from one chord to the next until he stopped a huge smile on his face. He'd finally finished the composition that he'd been working on for the past week and he was happy with the result. He looked up to see a brunette with flowing curls past her shoulders and sun-kissed skin that made her look so exotic. He smiled at her, "hey come sit and listen. I finally got it just right" she walked over and sat next to him watching him play the chords over and over his humming turned into singing in a low voice. The girl couldn't help but smile and he let the pick run over the strings playing the last note before setting the guitar aside, "So what do you think?"

The girl chewed on her bottom lip always a bad habit that she had picked up from her father, "I like it, especially the bridge." she gave him a smile when she saw him light up, "I told you that you could do it." Troy laughed sarcastically telling her that they both knew he couldn't compose a song for shit and the girl glared at him.

"Oh don't give me that look Gabriella, we're 21. We're allowed to cuss" he laughed poking at her sides trying to get her to ease up. Gabriella just ignored him and went to his computer and sat down wiggling the mouse waking up the computer.

"Well while you've been working on that song I wanted your opinion on some lyrics" Troy came up beside Gabriella and started reading over her shoulder, "I thought this one would go great with what you just wrote and you could sing it at the open mic night downtown" Troy looked at her with a questioning look.

"You already signed me up didn't you?" Gabriella shrugged but had a hidden smirk on her face and he shook his head, "you're horrible but i love it" he kissed her head and she shut down his computer turning around in the computer chair so they were almost face to face with each other.

"So are you ready to practice?" Gabriella asked and he stepped aside motioning for her to go first. She walked past his drum set and grabbed his guitar handing it to him and they sat at the end of his bed. She watched him play while she held the original hand written lyrics out at arm's length so he could read them. She would switch from watching his fingers dance across the fret board and watching his face while he sang. She couldn't help but smile when he sang, her best friend, her partner, her lifeline. They had met in high school when she had moved next door and he'd been forced to come over with a plate of cookies from his mother and since then it had been history between them. Troy now lived in an apartment complex on campus, his parents paying for the studio apartment as long as he kept his grades up while Gabriella stayed in the dorms across campus.

* * *

Hours later Troy was grabbing his gear for the open mic night to pack up in his truck. When everything had been put up he headed across the campus to pick up Gabriella.

"Oh my God what took you so long?" Gabriella had rushed up to the truck as soon as Troy had pulled up opening the door and climbing in as it came to a stop in front of her building, "let's go!" Troy just laughed knowing that they had plenty of time but Gabriella was perpetually early to everything so anytime she wasn't a half hour early she considered herself running late.

Troy pulled up to The Bar downtown, he always laughed at the name. "So clever" he mumbled to himself. Gabriella was waiting at the back of the truck tapping her foot in her heels urging him to hurry up. "Slow your roll Brie I'm working on it" Gabriella stuck her tongue out at him while he grabbed his guitar case from the back and a set of back up amps and cords in case the others failed, he had learned that the hard way.

Gabriella walked into the bar and told the guy behind the bar that Troy was there and ready to go on stage. The guy nodded pushing the list to her, she instantly noticed the first three names were already marked off and the place was starting to get packed. She took a deep breath she always hated when she got nervous for him. She met Troy back behind the stage and asked if he was ready to go on because he was after the next person. Troy nodded hooking the guitar strap to the other end of the guitar and strumming through a few chords. Troy leaned in by her ear talking loudly over the music asking if she'd come out in the alley with him so he could do a run through. She looked back at the place starting to fill up and nodded at him. They both walked out into the alley the door slamming shut echoing through the alley causing the loud music and chatter to come to a complete silence.

Troy paced the alley warming up his vocals and strumming chords Gabriella listened to him memorize over the years as his fingers moved effortlessly, the term muscle memory came to her mind but she pushed it away concentrating on him. He came to a stop in front of her and he started playing the intro to the song and it was like everything else faded away between them two, when he sang it enveloped them both. Her lyrics, his composition, perfect harmony. Troy was belting out the lyrics not holding back like it was just him back at his apartment jamming out.

The door swung open and a guy told Troy that he was next and Troy looked straight at Gabriella and she put a hand on his "You sound amazing as always".

Troy rolled his eyes but took a deep breath walking back into The Bar and continued to strum the song on his guitar even though no one, not even him, could hear it. The guy on the stage introduced him as Troy Bolton. Troy looked back at Gabriella and she gave him two thumbs up and he gave her a wink before walking out on the stage and plugging up. He looked around before starting the opening chords addressing the room informing them the name of the song before jumping right into the lyrics.

Gabriella stood to the side of the stage and watched as people would stop what they were doing and start to listen to Troy sing. He was always able to command the attention in a room as soon as he opened his mouth, it served him well with the ladies in high school and even more so now. She smiled as he came up to the bridge and managed to hit each note. She was bouncing on her feet with the beat of the song singing along to it. She walked to the bar glancing back at him every few steps and ordered herself a beer and leaned against the bar watching him. When he finished he unplugged his guitar and gave a wave as the MC dismissed him and Gabriella went over to help him pack everything up. She walked up to him and gave him a hug setting her beer on a speaker by the stage.

"You did amazing!" Troy smiled at her and motioned for her to help him out. She grabbed chords while he grabbed the guitar and they walked out the truck, the night air dead silent compared to inside the bar. You would still hear the muffled music through the doors as they loaded up the back of the truck. Troy turned to her.

"So I have news" Gabriella looked at him confused, "they want me to come back and play every Friday night" Gabriella smiled hugely and squealed which was rare and it only made Troy laugh.

"That's great!" She said loudly still trying to get her ears to adjust to the lack of noise.

"Yeah the manager met me right after I was done." He pulled a wad of twenties, "a hundred dollars a show" Gabriella grabbed the money and counted them before handing him back, "We're on our way up Brie"

"We'll let's go make this permanent and make it happen" Gabriella said smiling at him. Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulders ushering her back inside so he could sign the paper work to make his spot permanent.


End file.
